Each year, the GALEO anti-enforcement activists sends out a list of the “highlights” of their activism. Below are some taken from the GALEO end-of-year boast from December 2010
GALEO (partial) narrative of ‘accomplishments’ end of 2010 HERE
“Thank you for your interest, support and dedication to GALEO & the GALEO Latino Community Development Fund. 2010 has certainly been a fantastic year and we are glad to continue to look forward to growing strength and engagement across the Latino community in Georgia.
* Please take a moment to support the DREAM Act! This federal legislation could impact 74,000 youth in Georgia alone, over 2 million nationwide. For additional information and action you can take, please call 1-866-996-5161 to reach your US Senators or call 1-866-967-6018 to reach your U.S. Representative. More information is posted here (courtesy of the White House).
* 2010 has been a remarkable year. Here are a few highlights we can be proud of as an organization:
*We started off 2010 with an aggressive Immigration Reform Week of Action from January 12-20, 2010.
* We had outstanding work with a successful 2010 Census outreach effort that brought together many organizations, groups and communities together. We can’t wait for the numbers to be out and then to work on redistricting efforts to ensure our community gets adequately represented.
* We held our annual 2010 Cesar Chavez Day at the State Capitol on March 31, 2010.
* We have led the voice for a rational and comprehensive immigration solution at the federal level while strongly opposing any state anti-immigrant initiatives, such as the infamous SB1070, the anti-immigrant law in Arizona.
*We are also strongly supporting efforts to pass the DREAM Act in the current lame duck session and we strongly opposed the Georgia Board of Regents blocking access to higher education.
* GALEO hosted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) at the 7th Annual GALEO Power Reception on May 14, 2010.
* The GALEO Institute for Leadership continues to train and develop community leaders across the state and now has reached over 350 individuals. Graduation for our Fall 2010 classes will be this Saturday.
* GALEO continues to be a member of the U.S. Council of Latino Affairs, in partnership with the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute. Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO, recently presented at the 2010 Latino Education Summit in Washington DC to discuss issues with immigration enforcement in Georgia.
*GALEO partnered with AALAC and the LAA to host an important Town Hall Meeting “The Economics of an Arizona law: What would that mean to Georgia?” at the Loudermilk Center in Atlanta on September 28, 2010. This was followed by the announcement of the Georgia Legislature’s Joint Legislative Committee on Immigration Reform.
Obviously, this is only a snapshot of what we did. We look forward to a successful 2011 and appreciate your support in 2010! Please do become engaged and support our efforts.”
In which an Atlanta TV news reporter gets a few comments from GALEO Executive Director, Jerry Gonzalez (in the red cap) during a GALEO-orgianzed march against immigration enforcement.
March 26: GALEO was a principle speaker at the Fast For Families bus tour stop in Atlanta. Jerry Gonzalez, GALEO, also fasted for 24 hours to support these efforts. Also, GALEO encouraged participation at the AALAC & 9 to 5 “Fast then Feast for Families to support Immigration Reform”.
March 29: GALEO conducted the “Lobby Training for Immigration Reform Day” in Lawrenceville, GA. Foreign language video HERE.
April 5: GALEO supported and had members participate with the “GLAHR: Walk with US” march in support of immigration reform.
which includes not only another leftist “group” headed by the same Rich Pellegrino quoted below, but also the Marietta Nation of Islam organization. See HERE (or here) for info on the fact that the SPLC has listed the latter group on their 2012 (we love this one) “hate group” list. Shorter: In addition to smearing the Cobb sheriff and other elected officials, GALEO has ties to SPLC-designated “hate groups.” GALEO associate Pellegrino has taken the stage at the same event as American terrorist, Bill Ayers.
See the below news report:
Marietta Daily Journal
Activists go after Cobb sheriff, say actions politically motivated
by By Kathryn Dobies and Jon Gillooly
May 15, 2010 1
ATLANTA – Immigration activists at Jessica Colotl’s Friday press conference called for Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren’s resignation and went after several local and state politicians.
Activists and members of human rights groups joined Colotl – an illegal immigrant and Kennesaw State University student – and denounced Warren’s recent actions, calling them politically motivated.
“It’s really unfortunate that her family has been used by ‘Wild West Warren’ for a political ploy to score political points,” said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director for the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. “It’s shameful that a law enforcement official would use the rule of law and the authority given to him by Cobb County voters to abuse that power and to create a massive manhunt for a college student, a non criminal.”
(Photo above: Jerry Gonzalez, GALEO Executive Director)
Warren maintains that he was enforcing the law, as is his duty under oath, and was not encouraged by anyone to pursue the situation.
Colotl, 21, was stopped on KSU campus March 29 for a traffic violation and later arrested for driving without a valid license. After Colotl was booked into Cobb Jail, she was turned over to immigration authorities. She was taken to the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Ala., on April 1, but was released May 5. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities agreed to defer any action against her for one year so she could return to her studies at the university.
On Wednesday evening, however, the Cobb Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant for Colotl on a felony charge of lying to law-enforcement officials, based on a reportedly false address she provided upon her book-in at the Cobb County Jail in March. On Friday morning, Colotl turned herself into Cobb authorities and was released on a $2,500 bond.
Rich Pellegrino, of Cobb Immigrant Alliance, said his group would soon be asking for Warren’s resignation.
“Next week we will be releasing information we have documented proof that Sheriff Neil Warren has been selectively enforcing the law, looking to the side when other people have identity issues, other people who are friends of his have identity documents, false documents, we will be releasing that next week and calling for the resignation and removal of Sheriff Neil Warren,” Pellegrino said.
Gonzalez even called for President Barack Obama to step in, asking him to take away an agreement, known as 287(g), which Cobb County has with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to check the immigration status of everyone booked into the county jail. The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office was the first agency in Georgia to participate in 287(g). Since July 2007, Warren’s office has identified more than 6,600 inmates who were in the United States illegally. Warren signed a new 287(g) agreement in October 2009.
In defense of his latest actions, Warren said Friday that his staff went to the Duluth address that Colotl provided to his department during her first book-in and met with the manager of Century Park Apartments, only to find that Colotl did not live there.
“I have all the confidence in the world that my investigators did a thorough investigation,” Warren said. “And they presented a case to the magistrate, and the magistrate judge felt there was probable cause to issue the warrant. So it’s time for us to let the courts and the judge decide … We started getting calls and I felt obligated to look into it. I did not have any encouragement to do anything.”
Warren said he has no intentions of resigning.
Regarding Colotl’s late March booking in Cobb Jail and the tools used to determine the status of an inmate, Warren said, “some may think it is unfortunate that minor offenders are caught in the 287(g) net; but I value any tool that helps me enforce the law and remove violators from our community. Georgia law establishes legal criteria for every potential offender, from traffic violations thru capital felony murder. Often individuals have different perceptions or personal definitions of criminal activity. I follow the Georgia Code and enforce those statutes. That is my oath of office and duty to the citizens of Cobb County.”
Following Friday’s press conference, Christopher Taylor, Colotl’s attorney, was critical of the Journal for its reporting, saying the Journal was responsible for Colotl’s second arrest.
“I believe the Marietta Daily Journal and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office misreported this issue,” Taylor said. “I’ve got a problem with the Marietta Daily Journal … Reporting that she gave a false address caused a fire storm.”
However, the Journal brought Colotl’s story to light on May 1 because her friends and sorority sisters from Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority reached out to the newspaper, asking for coverage of a march for Colotl at the state Capitol.
In an attempt to contact Colotl, the Journal called her previous attorney, Kazuma Sonoda, of the Sonoda Law Firm, sent her a message via Facebook and finally went to the Duluth address she provided to authorities on May 7. At the address, a woman answered and said she still receives mail for Colotl, but has never met the KSU student.
Taking jabs at politicians Friday, Gonzalez said, “(Former) U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal has said he wants to bring Arizona along to Georgia as governor. (Former) state Sen. Eric Johnson wants to ban access to college education to deserving students like Jessica. They want to kick them out of school. Is that the kind of Georgia that we want?”
Johnson, a Republican candidate for governor, on Friday challenged a statement from the chancellor of the University System of Georgia that it would be too costly to require verifying citizenship when a student goes through the admissions process.
“This is a typical bureaucratic response. First and foremost, we cannot afford to simply ignore the law, and it is unacceptable to brazenly dismiss the responsibility of enforcement,” Johnson said. “… It does not cost a dime to ask for a valid driver’s license, valid passport, or valid student visa.”
KSU officials have said that Colotl was receiving in-state tuition since she graduated from a Georgia high school.
Gonzalez went on to say that Georgia has “no leadership from both of our U.S. senators.”
“Where is Saxby Chambliss and where is Johnny Isakson? Instead of saying no on immigration reform, why are they not working to move forward with a workable solution that moves us together as a nation to uphold our values as a nation? (Isakson) You are up for re-election sir. There are a 160,000 Latinos registered to vote. We are paying attention to this issue,” he said.
In response, Isakson told the Journal, “I have always drawn a clear distinction between legal and illegal immigration, and anyone who comes to our country legally should be welcomed to share in the pursuit of the American dream. At the same time, the defense of our nation begins with securing our borders and ending the opportunity for illegal entry. Our immigration laws must be followed and they must be enforced, and I stand in full support of those who do both.”
*Under then new content editor, J.K. Murphy, the MDJ paid to have its website upgraded, but did not have a backup on place. Years worth of news and opinion were lost, even when checking the Wayback Machine. This report was one of the lost.
“In 2010, Jerry González, GALEO Executive Director and Trustee of the Sapelo Foundation, was instrumental in the publication of the research paper “Immigration Enforcement and its Impact on Latino Children in the State of Georgia.”
From the Sapelo Foundation website: “We promote progressive social change affecting vulnerable populations, rural communities, and the natural environment in the state of Georgia.”
The Sapelo Foundation study in question decries immigration enforcement on the premise that it is bad for “immigrant children” It was conducted by former Regional Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Elise Shore.
Memorable 1998 on-air radio quote quote from a MALDEF founder, Mario Obledo?
“California is going to be a Hispanic state and anyone who doesn’t like it should leave. They should go back to Europe.”
GALEO founder, Sam Zamarippa is a former Board member of MALDEF. GALEO Executive Director, Jerry Gonzalez, is a former policy analyst and lobbyist for MALDEF.
The report repeatedly laments the consequences of immigration enforcement at both the federal and state and local levels. The federal 287 (g) and Secure Communities program are major obstacles to the agenda outlined in the conclusions of the report. You can see the life-saving results of 287 (g) in Gwinnett and what GALEO is fighting in the name of “making communities safer” here.
The Sapelo Foundation report also recommends another legalization (“Comprehensive Immigration Reform”) – “for the children” (immigration laws should not be enforced if the illegal aliens have children.)
Cited in “resources”: Charles Kuck, Esq., “I have read the Arizona law and it still stinks,” June 15, 2010 blog entry, available at: http://www.immigration.net/Blog. “ Kuch, who also lobbied against local enforcement and Georgia’s 2011 illegal immigration legislation, HB 87, was vice-Chair of GALEO at the time (2007-2014) and is currently listed as a donor and former Board Member.
Quote from the Sapelo report: “As one advocate recently explained, “Children are internalizing the anti-immigrant sentiment” reflected in law enforcement’s over- zealous focus on immigration.[84]
It also recommends cooperation with the government of Mexico in interior U.S. enforcement. One Recommendation: “The various local, state and federal agencies involved in the child welfare and immigration enforcement system should institute a cooperative system of mandatory reporting that tracks information related to immigrant families. To the extent feasible, these agencies should collaborate with the Mexican Consulate and other Consulates to create accurate and comprehensive statistics related to immigrant families and children in the child welfare system.”
Atlanta, Georgia & Los Angeles, CA – March 23, 2005 The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund today issued the following statement in opposition to HB 244 and SB 84, which would impose unnecessary new registration and polling place identification requirements on Georgia voters:
“We vigorously oppose the new photo identification requirements that would be imposed by HB 244 and SB 84 because they will create unnecessary and discriminatory obstacles for voters who wish to participate in Georgia’s electoral process. * These requirements would have a particularly detrimental impact on Georgia’s Latinos. From our experience working with Latino voters in Georgia and throughout the nation, we have learned that some pollworkers or election officials arbitrarily subject Latino voters to greater scrutiny during the registration and voting process. While we believe that most Georgia election workers treat voters fairly, there is still a significant risk that the new requirements will be used improperly to prevent Latino voter participation.
“These new requirements are unnecessary because Georgia law already requires its voters to provide identification before they can cast their ballots. The pending legislation reduces the list of acceptable forms of identification from 17 types of documents to just a handful, including a driver’s license, state- issued ID card, U.S. passport, military ID, government employee ID or student ID at select state universities. Restricting the acceptable forms of ID imposes new burdens on the elderly, poor, African Americans, Latinos and other population groups who may be less likely to possess these documents and may experience new financial challenges in obtaining them. In recent years, there have not been any cases brought to the State Election Board involving voters that attempted to vote fraudulently by assuming someone else’s identity. Thus, there is no evidence that the type of voter fraud that these burdensome requirements purport to address is even a problem in the state.
Finally, the enactment of these legislative measures would give Georgia the dubious distinction of having the most restrictive voter ID provisions of any state in the nation. As Georgia’s population becomes more diverse, it is critical that all of its voters become fully engaged in the electoral process. Latinos, African Americans and other population groups are helping to keep the state’s democracy vital and responsive to all of its citizens – this is not the time to take a step backwards with unfair and unnecessary burdens on democratic participation.”
The NALEO Educational Fund is the leading organization that empowers Latinos to participate fully in the American political process, from citizenship to government service.
GALEO TRANSPORT OF ILLEGAL ALIENS? – *THAT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW:
In March of 2010, GALEO joined with other illegal alien advocacy groups and organized bus transportation for 2,200 people – including many self-described illegal aliens – from Atlanta to Washington DC for a larger protest march against immigration enforcement. The demand then and now was for an end to immigration enforcement and a repeat of the 1986 amnesty. A revealing Atlanta TV station news video of the stated agenda of the trip as the busses were being boarded for departure can be seen here – including an interview with Jerry Gonzalez, GALEO’s only Executive Director since it’s incorporation in 2003. By then, Dax Lopez had been on the GALEO board for six years.
GALEO boasts of involvement in organizing this trip on its website:
“In March 2010, GALEO was one of three groups that organized travel to the historic March on DC for immigration reform. Over 2,200 people from Georgia joined over 200,000 people in Washington D.C. urging for immigration reform.”
It is a violation of federal law to transport an illegal alien.
8USC1324:
Bringing in and harboring certain aliens
(a) Criminal penalties
(1)
(A) Any person who—
(i) knowing that a person is an alien, brings to or attempts to bring to the United States in any manner whatsoever such person at a place other than a designated port of entry or place other than as designated by the Commissioner, regardless of whether such alien has received prior official authorization to come to, enter, or reside in the United States and regardless of any future official action which may be taken with respect to such alien; *(ii)knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, transports, or moves or attempts to transport or move such alien within the United States by means of transportation or otherwise, in furtherance of such violation of law;
(iii) knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals, harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation;
(iv) encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law; or
(v)
(I) engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts, or
(II) aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts,…
WITH DAX LOPEZ ON ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, GALEO ESCORTS SELF-PROCLAIMED ILLEGAL ALIENS INTO THE GEORGIA STATE SENATE CHAMBER TO OPPOSE PASSAGE OF SB 529 – March 2006
GALEO’s Executive Director Jerry Gonzalez says legislators should consider illegal aliens “constituents.”
*Note from D.A. King: I was sitting in the senate gallery watching this happen. I knew it was coming from emails shared with me and from the event organizing posting on the GALEO website. Note from DA: GALEO has removed the original event post from the internet. May 4, 2020
Hispanics flood Capitol to protest immigration bill
By Carlos Campos, Atlanta Journal Constitution, March 8, 2006
Dozens of Hispanic immigrants flooded the halls of the state Capitol today to voice their concerns over a bill under debate in the Senate that seeks to crack down on undocumented workers in Georgia.
Organizers of a morning rally on the Capitol steps urged the crowd of about 100 – mostly Hispanic men – to go inside to urge legislators to vote against Senate Bill 529, known as the “Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act.”
About half of the crowd lingered outside, in part because a photo identification is required to enter the Capitol building.
Inside, many of the immigrants – some of them whom acknowledged they are undocumented – crowded hallways outside of the Senate chamber. Many of them wore blue jeans, t-shirts, stained painter’s pants, cowboy hats and ball caps, standing out from the suit-and-tie Capitol crowd that usually gathers in the halls.
Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials guided several men through a legislative phone-and-photo directory, helping them pick out certain legislators with whom to speak. Many busily filled out message forms for legislators in hopes of getting them to come out of the Senate to hear them out.
Gonzalez said some of the men in the crowd who speak English were helping the Spanish-speakers to communicate with legislators.
“We want to put a face with immigrants,” Gonzalez said. “Many of these immigrants live in their districts. Legislators should consider them their constituents.”
About 1 p.m., when debate over Sen. Chip Rogers’ (R-Woodstock) bill began, the majority of the immigrants moved up to the public gallery overlooking the floor of the Senate to watch the debate. Pablo Lopez, 28, of Gwinnett County, took a day off from his landscaping job to watch the debate in person.
Lopez, who acknowledged that he is an undocumented worker from Mexico, said he thought it was important to let legislators know immigrants are disturbed by the bill…
*Note: The below is the first installment of the “Beginners Guide to GALEO” (see here for all installments) which was a collection of verified information on GALEO we were proud to share with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and our U.S. Senators in 2015/2016. It was related to GALEO board member Dax Lopez and his nomination to the federal bench. We were successful – Lopez, a longtime GALEO board member and fundraiser saw his nomination fail. We win.
UPDATE: Oct. 28, 2024: GALEO Inc. & Jerry Gonzalez- a partial history.
___________________________
Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials Inc. (GALEO) IRS 501 c (6) non-profit “To promote civic engagement and leadership of the Latino community…”
Reality: To serve as community organizer for illegal aliens, to lobby against enforcement of American immigration laws, against official English, voter ID and an equal application of American law and for another amnesty in the name of identity politics…
* Reported revenue $77,737 (see Part 1, line 9) of which $17,520 was reported as paid to Executive Director Jerry Gonzalez (see Part IV) for 20 hours work per week.
* Not included in reported revenue total was $9000.00 in donated rent. (Schedule O)
Note: The address for both GALEO and GALEO Latino Community Development Fund Inc. (below) is 1100 Peachtree St. Suite 2800, Atlanta, Ga., 30309. That is the same address as the law offices of Kilpatrick Stockton in Atlanta. Multiple people have confirmed to me over the years that they have seen the GALEO offices inside Kilpatrick Stockton office suite.
GALEO Latino Community Development Fund Inc. IRS 501 c (3) non-profit “To help implement civic engagement and leadership development of the Latino community in Georgia. Through our leadership program…GALEO has graduated over 400 community leaders (as of 2013 filing) throughout the state in both urban and rural areas and has equipped them with basic leadership skills for the community members to accomplish more for themselves in their own communities …”
*Note: In partnership with the UGA Fanning Institute: From the GALEO website – “The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) and the GALEO Latino Community Development Fund (GLCDF) were established to increase the leadership development and civic engagement of the Latino community across Georgia.
The GLCDF has implemented the GALEO Institute for Leadership (GIL) to focus upon leadership development of the Latino community across our state. As part of the GALEO Institute for Leadership, we have formed a strategic partnership with the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute to expand and develop our joint efforts for their Community Leadership Program.”
Reality: Training more wanna-be Jerry Gonzalez anti-borders community organizers for placement around Georgia.
I have given info like this to many members of the press since 2005. There has never been any corresponding reports on GALEO or profiles of Gonzalez or GALEO founder and bagman, former state Senator Sam Zamarippa.
I have been “profiled” by the AJC twice and by the Associated Press and the New York Times .
Including Georgia’s Republican Attorney General Sam Olens and Brian Kemp, Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, along with Republican state Senator and Appropriations Chairman Jack Hill and with Republican Georgia House Representative B.J. Pak, (write-up here) other GALEO donors and sponsors can be seen here from the GALEO 12th Annual Power Breakfast, its largest fund-raising event of the year, and one of several such annual events.
* Note Part II, line 1.
Also, we find no record on Guidestar of an IRS form 990 for either above corporation for the year 2014 yet.
**** UPDATE, January, 20, 2016: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED Dax Lopez nomination process for federal judge is eneded- see here and here.
This entry is dedicated to Dustin Inman and to Kate Steinle and the uncounted thousands of Americans who have been killed by criminal aliens released by local jails.
GALEO: “Since Fulton County is the first jurisdiction in the state with such a recommendation, GALEO would also like to encourage other jurisdictions in the state to adopt similar policies and stop honoring the hold requests from ICE.”
Below is a GALEO press release boasting of their (successful)
lobbying effort in Fulton County, Georgia against the sheriff honoring ICE detainers.
Dax Lopez had been on the GALEO board for ten years at the time.
GALEO Commends Fulton County Commissioners for urging Sheriff to decline ICE hold requests
2014-09-03 12.41.43
GALEO Commends Fulton County Commissioners for urging Sheriff to decline ICE hold requests
PRESS Statement: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
Media Contact: Jerry González, GALEO Executive Director Tel.: (404) 745-2580 / Email: Jerry@galeo.org
September 3, 2014 (ATLANTA, GA)- Fulton County Commission scheduled a vote today on a Resolution urging the Fulton County Sheriff to “implement a policy to decline detainer requests from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO, testified today before the Fulton County Commission urging them to adopt the proposed resolution which was co-sponsored by four County Commissioners and led by Commissioner Joan Gardner. The Fulton County Commission had heard from community members of SONG, GLAHR and 9 to 5, in previous weeks of public comment period educating the commissioners on the issue and why the immigration holds were bad public policy and bad for our communities.
Gonzalez, issued the following statement after the Fulton County Commission passed a resolution, 6-0, today urging the Fulton County Sheriff to decline ICE hold requests:
“On behalf of GALEO, I would like to commend Fulton County Commissioners’ leadership and resolution urging the Fulton County Sheriff to stop honoring the ICE hold requests in order to keep families together but to also enhance public safety. We urge the Fulton County Sheriff to move forward quickly and implement the recommendation.
Since Fulton County is the first jurisdiction in the state with such a recommendation, GALEO would also like to encourage other jurisdictions in the state to adopt similar policies and stop honoring the hold requests from ICE.”
About Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO)
GALEO’s mission is to increase civic engagement and leadership of the Latino/Hispanic community across Georgia.
More? Here is the 2006 page from the GALEO website on which the anti-enforcement corporation passes along information on how to defeat ICE hold requests (note, April 15, 2020: original GALEO site link now broken, we have replaced it with a link to the same “toolkit” from another anti-enforcement group):
